The Last V8

The Good
It probably doesn't deserve to be called a classic, but I call it that because every C64 user I know had it, and we enthusiastically struggled with it. Why wouldn't we have? Going with the World's last V8-engined car after the nuclear apocalypse sounds cool in concept. You know, Mad Max and stuff.

The graphics for the first level is good (the second one is a bit blocky). The car is made of high resolution sprites and looks neat.

It's got Rob Hubbard's musical blessing on it, somehow composed from irritating noises into an awesome soundtrack! There are also a few digitized speech sound effects. Crude ones, but hey it's the C64!

The demo mode sometimes manages to play trough the entire first level. That's way much more than we ever will see from the game (without cheating or watching the longplay).

The Bad
One thing to criticise is that the playfield is just 1/3rd of the screen, the rest is filled up with a static image.

The main problem with this game that IT IS INSANELY, IMPOSSIBLY DIFFICULT!!!

You are driving the most fragile car on the narrowest roads ever, accompanied with very confusing controls. One small mistake and the car goes boom! Immediate game over. Immediate? I mean, drawn out with a long traumatizing game over jingle. I probably heard that jingle more than the soundtrack.

This would make a very challenging but still okay game, if there weren't those darn time limits. Not just one, TWO TIME LIMITS! First there is a timer for each level. Then, there is a second time limit disguised as a fuel bar. This is basically a time limit for the entire game. There is no refuelling.

The second level is even more difficult than the first one. You are in a city and you have to find the right path. You also have to watch your shield meter to avoid places with high radiation level.

Once I have beaten the game by cheating. And I have found out that it has just two levels. Disappointing. Way to cover the lack of content by ramping up the difficulty.

The Bottom Line
One of the hardest, most unforgiving games ever, that just punishes you without satisfaction or reward.